The world of Walt Disney Animation has lost one of its beloved voices. Lourdes Ambriz Márquez, the Spanish-language voice actress who brought Disney Princess Belle to life in Beauty and the Beast (1991), has died after a battle with cancer. She was 67 years old.
Márquez was well-known for her powerful operatic soprano voice, which she lent to the role of Belle for the Latin American Spanish-language version of Beauty and the Beast. While Diana Santos voiced Belle’s speaking lines, Márquez provided the character’s singing voice, performing alongside Arturo Mercado (voice) and Walterio Pesqueira (singing) as the Beast.
Her operatic career spanned decades. Márquez made her professional debut in 1982 as Olympia in “The Tales of Hoffman” at the National Opera Company of the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) in Mexico. “From that moment, her crystalline soprano made her one of the most admired figures of the Mexican lyric stage,” said The Latin Times.
Márquez continued to perform with Mexico’s leading orchestras and internationally with renowned groups like the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Dallas and San Francisco symphonies, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony, and the German Chamber Academy.
Throughout her career, Márquez received multiple accolades for her contributions to music and the arts. She won the National Youth Award in 1987 and the Mozart Medal in 2006. In 2023, she was given the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Medal, followed by the prestigious Bellas Artes Medal in 2024, a recognition that The Latin Times called “one of Mexico’s highest artistic honors.”
Márquez was also dedicated to giving back to the artistic community. The Disney movie star served as the Artistic Deputy Director of the National Opera Company of INBA beginning in 2014 and as the Artistic Director of the Ópera de Bellas Artes from 2015 to 2017.
After a battle with cancer, Lourdes Ambriz Márquez passed away on August 28, 2025, at a hospital in Mexico City.
Have you seen any of Lourdes Ambriz Márquez’s performances? Share your memories with Disney Dining in the comments.
